MIAMI - Maybe the Dodgers should bench Yasiel Puig more often. Held out of the starting lineup to improve his focus and fined by Manager Don Mattingly to improve his punctuality, Puig came off the bench Tuesday and hit the first pitch he saw for a tiebreaking eighth-inning home run, leading the Dodgers to 6-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. "He definitely has a flair for the dramatic," teammate Jerry Hairston Jr. said. "There aren't too many guys like that. " BOX SCORE: Dodgers 6, Marlins 4 Said infielder Nick Punto: "I wasn't surprised.

NEW YORK - By the third inning in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, the Angels had Chris Nelson at third base, Tommy Field at shortstop, Grant Green at second base, Collin Cowgill in right field and J.B. Shuck in left field. Not exactly the "template," to borrow one of Manager Mike Scioscia's favorite words, the Angels had in mind in April, but it's emblematic of a season that has gone from bad to worse to unrecognizable. The Angels, their depleted ranks thinned further by a left-calf cramp that knocked shortstop Erick Aybar out in the third inning, hung with the New York Yankees for three innings, but they were pummeled in the next five rounds.

CLEVELAND - It happened so fast, like one of those summer thunderstorms that can plunge a brilliant Midwest afternoon into darkness. Five runs ahead and 10 outs away from a three-game sweep in Progressive Field, Angels starter Jerome Williams collapsed within a span of 10 pitches in the sixth inning Sunday, and the Angels lost to the Cleveland Indians, 6-5. "It was kind of a shock, really," catcher Hank Conger said. "You give up one hit and you're pretty much cruising through five innings.

If you had to choose a two-inning sample that is emblematic of the way things have gone for the Angels this season, the last two innings of Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays would be a good choice. Leading by three runs with five outs to go, the Angels saw two infielders throw away potential double-play balls, lost another out on a blown call by an umpire and used six pitchers to try to protect a lead at Angel Stadium. They didn't quite make it, with two-out singles by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion in the top of the ninth sending the Angels to their 10th loss in 15 games, dropping them to fourth place in the American League West and 101/2 games back in a wild-card race they've never really joined.

CHICAGO - The Dodgers celebrated the evolution of both their cash-infused franchise and cutter-throwing closer Saturday. Their 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field was their 13th consecutive road win, establishing a new franchise record . Another flawless ninth inning by Kenley Jansen prompted Manager Don Mattingly to compare him to Mariano Rivera. But a black brace that covered Yasiel Puig's left wrist and hand offered an uncomfortable reminder how easily a dominant team could be turned into something far less formidable.

CHICAGO - The Dodgers have said for weeks what utility man Nick Punto said Friday. "This is a special team," Punto said. This has become more than a belief. The Dodgers are now making history. BOX SCORE: Dodgers 6, Cubs 2 With a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Dodgers won their 12th consecutive road game, equaling the franchise record. Sandy Koufax's teams never did that. Neither did Jackie Robinson's or Fernando Valenzuela's.

As the Angels slipped into fourth place in a season slipping toward oblivion, it just got away from them. The inning, and maybe the year. Ernesto Frieri, the Angels' closer, started the 10th inning. He did not finish it. He gave up five runs. “When I do bad, it's like ugly bad,” Frieri said. “It's like ugly super bad.” BOX SCORE: Twins 10, Angels 3 The inning, and maybe the year. The Minnesota Twins pounded the Angels for seven runs in the 10th inning of a 10-3 victory on Tuesday, four of those runs coming on the first career grand slam by Chris Herrmann, off Frieri.

WASHINGTON - When the Dodgers scored seven runs in the second inning against the Washington Nationals on Sunday, the game was essentially over. Clayton Kershaw was on the mound. "It would have been hard to score seven runs against Kershaw," center fielder Matt Kemp said. Kershaw welcomed the early run support and went on to pitch seven innings in the Dodgers' sweep-sealing, 9-2 victory at Nationals Park. This was a rare treat for Kershaw, whose won-loss record was frequently victimized by the Dodgers' lineup earlier this season.

CONTINUING TO SET THE PACE 1. ST. LOUIS Division-leading Cardinals have 14 games left with second-place Pirates. (2) 2. BOSTON Red Sox need pitching help but lead MLB in 6 offensive categories. (1) 3. TAMPA BAY Rays are 20-6 since calling up rookie Wil Myers. (3) 4. OAKLAND With AL's top home mark, schedule favors A's, who have 36 game left there. (6) 5. ATLANTA Braves - up by 6 1/2 games - have led NL East for all but 1 day this season. (10) 6. PITTSBURGH Pirates are 37 games under .500 after All-Star break the last 2 seasons.

SEATTLE - Jerome Williams delivered his third straight shoddy start in an 8-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Safeco Field on Friday night, a 3 1/3-inning, six-run, seven-hit effort that assured the Angels will take a losing record into the All-Star break. The Angels, who entered the series with a major league-best 17-8 record since June 12, could have moved one game over .500 with a sweep, but the loss dropped them to 44-47 two games before the break. The Angels haven't had a .500 record since they were 1-1 on April 3, and they were 11 games under (27-38)